have two year old apple thats trying to fruit granted it is small and there are only three fruits set but will they harm the tree if ii leave them seems such a shame to remove them ;D n8r ...
It will not influence further fruiting, but sometimes with an immature tree the branch will not take the weight of the fruit and snaps the branch off.
I should be patient and let the branches thicken.
it will most definately affect future growth of the tree. the seed, and there are five in each apple, is a major drain of nutrient to the plant, and it cannot put as much energy into vegetative growth because it is producing fruit
yeah thats what i thought unfortunately cheers ;D...n8r
I've found that if a tree is allowed to fruit while it's too small, it sometimes stops growing.